land rights

We are in the midst of the single biggest attack in the world today on people’s identity, rights, livelihoods and security, as well as our environment. They cannot afford to lose this fight, nor can we.

Responding to the official launch today of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty proposed by Brazil’s G20 presidency, Oxfam Brazil’s Director of Programs, Advocacy and Campaigns Maitê Gauto said: “The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty could be a turning point in the battle against hunger and extreme poverty. Sharing proven policy solutions like cash transfers and school meals is crucial, but the Alliance must go further still by prioritizing transformative agriculture, racial and gender equity, land rights, and small-scale farming. It must also urgently address the devastating impacts of climate change on food systems in the Global South and confront the weaponization of hunger. Only by embracing these deeper, structural changes can we hope to tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty effectively."

In 2015 we celebrated world leaders’ recognition of the foundational and strategic role that sustainable land management must play to advance biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

In 2015 we celebrated world leaders’ recognition of the foundational and strategic role that secure land rights for all –women and men, regardless of ethnicity, religion, place of residence, or civil, economic, social, or political status—must play to achieve a world free of poverty, hunger and systemic gender discrimination.

Many governments and companies are adopting net zero climate targets as they recognize the urgency of the climate crisis. Without clear definition, however, these targets risk being reliant on using vast swathes of land in low-income countries to capture carbon emissions, allowing the biggest emitters to avoid making significant cuts in their own emissions.

From 2013 to 2016, Oxfam's Behind the Brands campaign called on the world’s 10 biggest food and beverage companies to adopt stronger social and environmental sourcing policies. Now we assess whether the companies have taken meaningful steps to implement the commitments they made in response to the campaign. 

In most countries, land inequality is growing. Worse, new measures and analysis published in this synthesis report show that land inequality is significantly higher than previously reported. This trend directly threatens the livelihoods of an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide involved in smallholder agriculture.

This research assesses the extent to which countries have advanced their commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure secure land rights for all. While some countries have allocated resources and strengthened land rights in an inclusive manner, most countries are yet to prioritize land rights in their national development agendas.

While the whole world attempts to save itself from the pandemic, the indigenous peoples of Latin America are dying. Abandoned by the state and with no adequate comprehensive healthcare services or clean water, they are extremely vulnerable to the virus that is fast expanding throughout the continent.

Droughts, storms, floods, disease and war — 2019 saw its fair share of disaster and conflict, but at the same time millions of us stood up and stood together to call for climate change action, an end to injustice, an end to poverty, and to raise the voices of the vulnerable. With your help, we continued to work hard to save lives and build a better future for all.